Cellular shades are a popular type of window covering in residential and commercial applications. The shades are aesthetically attractive and also provide improved insulation across a window or other type of opening due to their cellular construction. Cellular shades have assumed various forms including a plurality of longitudinally extending cells, generally of a “D” or “honeycomb” shape, made of a flexible, semi-rigid, or rigid material. Cellular shades can be mounted at the top of a door or window for extending across an architectural opening. When the shade is in an expanded state, the open cells cover the opening. The shade can be retracted or drawn into a contracted state wherein the cells collapse and are gathered together. When viewed from the front (i.e., interior of a room) this stack may have an appearance similar to stacked slats of a Venetian blind. Typically, the front and back of each cell collapse outwardly, e.g., toward the room side and the window side of the shade, respectively, and the controlling cords are normally disposed through the connecting point between each cell. Such cellular shades can have a very wide profile when contracted, due to the extension of the front and back of the individual cells in opposite directions during collapse, and can require a fairly deep mounting space in an architectural opening.
In the past, individual cells in a cellular shade have been constructed using various techniques and methods. Various methods for construction of cellular shades have been described, for instance, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,833,368, 7,588,068, 7,159,634, 7,111,659, 6,767,615; 6,068,039; 6,033,504; 5,753,338; 5,701,940; 5,691,031; 5,339,882; 5,228,936; 5,205,333; 4,974,656; 4,861,404; 4,732,630; 4,685,986; 4,677,012; 4,603,072; 4,388,354; and 2,201,356.
For example, cellular shades have been produced from two sheets of material which are pleated and then glued at the apex of the folds to form the cells. Alternatively, cellular shades have been produced by joining together multiple flat sheets of material along alternating glue lines between each flat sheet. Cellular shades have also been produced by attaching a series of slats between two spaced apart sheets of material.
In the past, one problem faced by manufacturers is the ability to produce cellular shades having a variable width. For example, as described above, in the past, two materials were joined together to produce the cellular shade. Consequently, the width of the shades was limited by the width of the roll of material. Thus, what is needed is a method of manufacturing cellular shades in which the cellular shades can have any desired width and are in no way limited by the width of the material used to form the shades. In this manner, cellular shades may be produced that can fit any architectural opening regardless of the width of the architectural opening. In addition, custom made shades may be produced that are designed to fit a particular space.
Additionally, cellular shades that can be collapsed with a small depth profile, so as to provide a low profile shade when contracted, would be of great benefit in the art.
The present disclosure is directed to improvements in cellular shades. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to an improved cell structure and method for constructing a cellular shade.